The Assesment
by ShadowQuirk
Summary: Very original title I know. But the story is one of a kind-I assure you. What happens when the Curtis' are assessed by a social worker? Will Sodapop and Ponyboy get sent to a boy's home?


A/N : Well. YAY. My first story. * dances a little jig around her extremely untidy room and trips over her stuff.* Oppps. This is one of the stories that I wrote when my english class was doing a unit on The Outsiders. I decided that the story (along with my other one, plz read that too) was too good to waste with only my english teacher reading it.  
  
Diclaimer: I may be only 3 years smaller than the author when she wrote it, but in no way could I write a story like hers threes years later. In other words, I am merely 'borrowing' her characters and own no one in this story except for Carrie. Well…ENJOY and don't forget to review, it means a lot to me.  
  
The Assessment  
  
"Miss Walter, the manager would like to see you about the Curtis Family Assessment." The secretary bustled into my cubby to tell me.  
  
Ah yes! The Curtis family, it was only a few months working here after I graduated. Yet, this family had left a significant mark in my life. I still remembered the day when I went to assess them…  
  
I stopped my car and looked at the postbox. Yes, this was Curtis alright,. I glanced at my data book, Ponyboy and Sodapop Curtis. Weird names. Fortunately, it was the last stop of the day I had been getting quite tired of ringing people's doorbells and going into a world of child abuse. I sighed behind the wheel, this was only a week after getting this job. It'd better last.  
  
I got out of the car and knocked on the door after seeing that there was no doorbell, knocked on the door. I self-consciously straightened my name tag, according to my manager, this family was a bad case and had already been marked half-way to the Boys Home. All it needed was my evidence.  
  
"Coming, Darry, is it you? It's not like you to forget your keys…Oh, um Hi! Who are you?" The door opened, and a cute guy looked at me, his movie star face puzzled. Apparently, they hadn't expected me coming.  
  
I flattened my skirt and flashed the boy my best smile "Hi! I'm Carrie Walter and I'm a social worker." I was nineteen after all, it never hurt to flirt a bit.  
  
The guy's face fell "Oh, come on in. Ponyboy Come down here this instant…"  
  
I was then led into the house and into the world where I found my boyfriend. It was the best day of my life.  
  
After being given a tour of their extremely neat house (my apartment was a pigsty compared to theirs) we sat down and talked about nearly everything—including what happened to them recently, until their brother and friends came home. I had wondered what it would be like to be hoods, it was completely different to what I thought they were. The conversation was led from school to hobbies to jobs and life. I felt at ease with these people, I was finally able to just be myself, not someone my so-called friends wanted me to be. Heck, I even forgot that I was on a job! It was only eight when I realised how long I had stayed, I had been too busy flirting with Sodapop to notice. Before I went, Sodapop had arranged a date with me, I swore I was the happiest girl in the world at that time.  
  
When I closed their front door, I heard Two-bit, the funny guy ask "Who is she anyway?"  
  
I had made a resolve there and then to help these people anyway I could. And it would start with my job.  
  
"Miss Walter, you may now come in" I took a deep breath, here goes….  
  
~*A few weeks later*~  
  
"Hey Sodapop'n Ponyboy, you've got mail from the social people. Did they come already?" Darry hollered from the front door.  
  
"Really? I'll read it later, got a date with Carrie. See ya Pony." Sodapop rushed by me, a goofy grin on his face. He had truly gotten over Sandy.  
  
I ran over to Darry to read the letter. He had a large smile on his face, guess it didn't contain bad news. "Aww, I wanted to know what Boys Homes were like, now I don't have the chance…"  
  
Darry cuffed me on the head, then looked at me "You're not serious, are you?"  
  
"You believed it?! I'm such a good actor!" Darry laughed and went inside the house.  
  
I looked down at the letter in my hands:  
  
To: Ponyboy and Sodapop Curtis.  
  
We are happy to tell you that your housing and social standards are meeting our needs, therefore, you will be allowed to stay where you are…  
  
I tossed the letter aside, there was no need to read anymore. For the first time in years, I felt that things were finally going for the better.  
  
  
  
A/N: Sooooo… how was it. It's short I know. But bear in mind that this is my first story. Be easy on me. *Cowers behind the screen and waits for rotten tomatoes* Please Review. I thank you from the bottom most of my heart. 


End file.
